them　strong　delusion；　that　they　should　believe　a　lie。〃　2　Thessalonians　2：10；
  11。
  Those　who　oppose　the　teachings　of　spiritualism　are　assailing；　not　men　alone；
  but　Satan　and　his　angels。　They　have　entered　upon　a　contest　against
  principalities　and　powers　and　wicked　spirits　in　high　places。　Satan　will　not
  yield　one　inch　of　ground　except　as　he　is　driven　back　by　the　power　of
  heavenly　messengers。　The　people　of　God　should　be　able　to　meet　him；　as　did
  our　Saviour；　with　the　words：　〃It　is　written。〃　Satan　can　quote　Scripture　now
  as　in　the　days　of　Christ；　and　he　will　pervert　its　teachings　to　sustain　his
  delusions。　Those　who　would　stand　in　this　time　of　peril　must　understand　for
  themselves　the　testimony　of　the　Scriptures。
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  Many　will　be　confronted　by　the　spirits　of　devils　personating　beloved
  relatives　or　friends　and　declaring　the　most　dangerous　heresies。　These
  visitants　will　appeal　to　our　tenderest　sympathies　and　will　work　miracles　to
  sustain　their　pretensions。　We　must　be　prepared　to　withstand　them　with　the
  Bible　truth　that　the　dead　know　not　anything　and　that　they　who　thus　appear
  are　the　spirits　of　devils。
  Just　before　us　is　〃the　hour　of　temptation；　which　shall　come　upon　all　the
  world；　to　try　them　that　dwell　upon　the　earth。〃　Revelation　3：10。　All　whose
  faith　is　not　firmly　established　upon　the　word　of　God　will　be　deceived　and
  overcome。　Satan　〃works　with　all　deceivableness　of　unrighteousness〃　to　gain
  control　of　the　children　of　men；　and　his　deceptions　will　continually
  increase。　But　he　can　gain　his　object　only　as　men　voluntarily　yield　to　his
  temptations。　Those　who　are　earnestly　seeking　a　knowledge　of　the　truth　and
  are　striving　to　purify　their　souls　through　obedience；　thus　doing　what　they
  can　to　prepare　for　the　conflict；　will　find；　in　the　God　of　truth；　a　sure
  defense。　〃Because　thou　hast　kept　the　word　of　My　patience；　I　also　will　keep
  thee〃　（verse　10）；　is　the　Saviour's　promise。　He　would　sooner　send　every　angel
  out　of　heaven　to　protect　His　people　than　leave　one　soul　that　trusts　in　Him
  to　be　overcome　by　Satan。
  The　prophet　Isaiah　brings　to　view　the　fearful　deception　which　will　come　upon
  the　wicked；　causing　them　to　count　themselves　secure　from　the　judgments　of
  God：　〃We　have　made　a　covenant　with　death；　and　with　hell　are　we　at　agreement；
  when　the　overflowing　scourge　shall　pass　through；　it　shall　not　come　unto　us：
  for　we　have　made　lies　our　refuge；　and　under　falsehood　have　we　hid
  ourselves。〃　Isaiah　28：15。　In　the　class　here　described　are　included　those　who
  in　their　stubborn　impenitence　comfort　themselves　with　the　assurance　that
  there　is　to　be　no　punishment　for　the　sinner；　that　all　mankind；　it　matters
  not　how　corrupt；　are　to　be　exalted　to　heaven；　to　become　as　the　angels　of
  God。　But　still　more　emphatically
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  are　those　making　a　covenant　with　death　and　an　agreement　with　hell；　who
  renounce　the　truths　which　Heaven　has　provided　as　a　defense　for　the　righteous
  in　the　day　of　trouble；　and　accept　the　refuge　of　lies　offered　by　Satan　in　its
  steadthe　delusive　pretensions　of　spiritualism。
  Marvelous　beyond　expression　is　the　blindness　of　the　people　of　this
  generation。　Thousands　reject　the　word　of　God　as　unworthy　of　belief　and　with
  eager　confidence　receive　the　deceptions　of　Satan。　Skeptics　and　scoffers
  denounce　the　bigotry　of　those　who　contend　for　the　faith　of　prophets　and
  apostles；　and　they　divert　themselves　by　holding　up　to　ridicule　the　solemn
  declarations　of　the　Scriptures　concerning　Christ　and　the　plan　of　salvation；
  and　the　retribution　to　be　visited　upon　the　rejecters　of　the　truth。　They
  affect　great　pity　for　minds　so　narrow；　weak；　and　superstitious　as　to
  acknowledge　the　claims　of　God　and　obey　the　requirements　of　His　law。　They
  manifest　as　much　assurance　as　if；　indeed；　they　had　made　a　covenant　with
  death　and　an　agreement　with　hell　as　if　they　had　erected　an　impassable；
  impenetrable　barrier　between　themselves　and　the　vengeance　of　God。　Nothing
  can　arouse　their　fears。　So　fully　have　they　yielded　to　the　tempter；　so
  closely　are　they　united　with　him；　and　so　thoroughly　imbued　with　his　spirit；
  that　they　have　no　power　and　no　inclination　to　break　away　from　his　snare。
  Satan　has　long　been　preparing　for　his　final　effort　to　deceive　the　world。　The
  foundation　of　his　work　was　laid　by　the　assurance　given　to　Eve　in　Eden：　〃Ye
  shall　not　surely　die。〃　〃In　the　day　ye　eat　thereof；　then　your　eyes　shall　be
  opened；　and　ye　shall　be　as　gods；　knowing　good　and　evil。〃　Genesis　3：4；　5。
  Little　by　little　he　has　prepared　the　way　for　his　masterpiece　of　deception　in
  the　development　of　spiritualism。　He　has　not　yet　reached　the　full
  accomplishment　of　his　designs；　but　it　will　be　reached　in　the　last　remnant　of
  time。　Says　the　prophet：　〃I　saw　three　unclean　spirits　like　frogs；　。　。　。　they
  are　the　spirits　of　devils；　working　miracles；　which　go　forth
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  unto　the　kings　of　the　earth　and　of　the　whole　world；　to　gather　them　to　the
  battle　of　that　great　day　of　God　Almighty。〃　Revelation　16：13；　14。　Except
  those　who　are　kept　by　the　power　of　God；　through　faith　in　His　word；　the　whole
  world　will　be　swept　into　the　ranks　of　this　delusion。　The　people　are　fast
  being　lulled　to　a　fatal　security；　to　be　awakened　only　by　the　outpouring　of
  the　wrath　of　God。
  Saith　the　Lord　God：　〃Judgment　also　will　I　lay　to　the　line；　and　righteousness
  to　the　plummet：　and　the　hail　shall　sweep　away　the　refuge　of　lies；　and　the
  waters　shall　overflow　the　hiding　place。　And　your　covenant　with　death　shall
  be　disannulled；　and　your　agreement　with　hell　shall　not　stand；　when　the
  overflowing　scourge　shall　pass　through；　then　ye　shall　be　trodden　down　by
  it。〃　Isaiah　28：17；　18。
  （563）
  Chapter　35
  Liberty　of　Conscience　Threatened
  Romanism　is　now　regarded　by　Protestants　with　far　greater　favor　than　in
  former　years。　In　those　countries　where　Catholicism　is　not　in　the　ascendancy；
  and　the　papists　are　taking　a　conciliatory　course　in　order　to　gain　influence；
  there　is　an　increasing　indifference　concerning　the　doctrines　that　separate
  the　reformed　churches　from　the　papal　hierarchy；　the　opinion　is　gaining
  ground　that；　after　all；　we　do　not　differ　so　widely　upon　vital　points　as　has
  been　supposed；　and　that　a　little　concession　on　our　part　will　bring　us　into　a
  better　understanding　with　Rome。　The　time　was　when　Protestants　placed　a　high
  value　upon　the　liberty　of　conscience　which　had　been　so　dearly　purchased。
  They　taught　their　children　to　abhor　popery　and　held　that　to　seek　harmony
  with　Rome　would　be　disloyalty　to　God。　But　how　widely　different　are　the
  sentiments　now　expressed！
  The　defenders　of　the　papacy　declare　that　the　church　has　been　maligned；　and
  the　Protestant　world　are　inclined　to　accept　the　statement。　Many　urge　that　it
  is　unjust　to　judge　the　church　of　today　by　the　abominations　and　absurdities
  that　marked　her　reign　during　the　centuries　of　ignorance　and　darkness。　They
  excuse　her　horrible　cruelty　as　the　result　of　the　barbarism　of　the　times　and
  plead　that　the　influence　of　modern　civilization　has　changed　her　sentiments。
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  Have　these　persons　forgotten　the　claim　of　infallibility　put　forth　for　eight
  hundred　years　by　this　haughty　power？　So　far　from　being　relinquished；　this
  claim　was　affirmed　in　the　nineteenth　century　with　greater　positiveness　than
  ever　before。　As　Rome　asserts　that　the　〃church　never　erred；　nor　will　it；
  according　to　the　Scriptures；　ever　err〃　（John　L。　von　Mosheim；　Institutes　of
  Ecclesiastical　History；　book　3；　century　II；　part　2；　chapter　2；　section　9；
  note　17）；　how　can　she　renounce　the　principles　which　governed　her　course　in
  past　ages？
  The　papal　church　will　never　relinquish　her　claim　to　infallibility。　All　that
  she　has　done　in　her　persecution　of　those　who　reject　her　dogmas　she　holds　to
  be　right；　and　would　she　not　repeat　the　same　acts；　should　the　opportunity　be
  presented？　Let　the　restraints　now　imposed　by　secular　governments　be　removed
  and　Rome　be　reinstated　in　her　former　power；　and　there　would　speedily　be　a
  revival　of　her　tyranny　and　persecution。
  A　well…known　writer　speaks　thus　of　the　attitude　of　the　papal　hierarchy　as
  regards　freedom　of　conscience；　and　of　the　perils　which　especially　threaten
  the　United　States　from　the　success　of　her　policy：
  〃There　are　many　who　are　disposed　to　attribute　any　fear　of　Roman　Catholicism
  in　the　United　States　to　bigotry　or　childishness。　Such　see　nothing　in　the
  character　and　attitude　of　Romanism　that　is　hostile　to　our　free　institutions；
  or　find　nothing　portentous　in　its　growth。　Let　us；　then；　first　compare　some
  of　the　fundamental　principles　of　our　government　with　those　of　the　Catholic
  Church。
  〃The　Constitution　of　the　United　States　guarantees　liberty　of　conscience。
  Nothing　is　dearer　or　more　fundamental。　Pope　Pius　IX；　in　his　Encyclical
  Letter　of　August　15；　1854；　said：　‘The　absurd　and　erroneous　doctrines　or
  ravings　in　defense　of　liberty　of　conscience　are　a　most　pestilential　errora
  pest；　of　all　others；　most　to　be　dreaded　in　a　state。'　The　same　pope；　in　his
  Encyclical　Letter　of　December　8；　1864；　anathematized　‘those　who　assert　the
  liberty　of　conscience　and　of　religious